IRISH CATHOLIC priests have revolted against a decision by the
bishops to introduce a new Roman missal later this year, yesterday
unanimously supporting a recommendation “priests and people avoid using
the sexist language that pervades the new missal”.
A meeting of
the Association of Catholic Priests requested “time and space for
priests who have conscientious or pastoral objections to the use of some
of the new texts”.
They expressed themselves “baffled” that, “while
generous provision has been made for the Latin Mass, no provision is
being made to accommodate the far greater number of people who will have
difficulty for different reasons with the new missal”.
The
meeting in Portlaoise was attended by an estimated 100 people, including
about 60 priests and lay members of Pobal and We Are Church.
All the
Catholic bishops were invited to attend.
The Bishop of Clonfert John
Kirby did so in a personal capacity.
In a statement, the priests
said “the purpose of the meeting was to seek further direction from our
members, who in January had requested us to meet with the bishops with a
view to having the implementation of the new missal postponed for five
years. We reported that while the meeting with the bishops had taken
place, we were disappointed with the level of their engagement with us.”
It
said: “There was unanimity about the inadequacy of the texts” in the
new missal, “and about the way they have been developed and imposed.”
The
new missal is to be introduced in some Irish dioceses from September,
and will be introduced in Catholic churches throughout Ireland and the
English-speaking world from November 27th next.